


There's No Reason To Worry

by LeeAusten



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel's deal with the empty, Dean Winchester - Freeform, Destiel - Freeform, Destiel kiss, Destiel season 15, Destiel supernatural - Freeform, M/M, cas tells dean he loves him, castiel - Freeform, dean tells cas he loves him, destiel confession, season 15 the empty, the empty comes for cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:40:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26162032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeAusten/pseuds/LeeAusten
Summary: (Based on the recent promo for the rest of Season 15)Castiel finally tells Dean about his deal with the Empty but everything doesn't turn out the way they both fear it would. Happy ending.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean and Cas, Dean and Castiel, Destiel, Destiel Supernatural - Relationship, casdean spn, destiel spn - Relationship
Comments: 11
Kudos: 124





	There's No Reason To Worry

**Author's Note:**

> Fueled by my thoughts on how this will all go down (I could very well be wrong but many other people share my same opinion), this is my attempt to settle what I believe is unnecessary tears in the fandom. Castiel will not die permanently.

“So, it will only happen when you’re happy?” Jack awkwardly considered Castiel as a light wind swept up soft tendrils of his hair. “The deal with the Empty, I mean.”

Sighing, the older man perched on the front of the car alongside someone he grew to love as his own son and he nodded. “Apparently so.”

“That’s cruel.”

“It’s nothing to worry about because I’m far from that.”

“And what is _that_ exactly, Cas?” Jack could have ripped the band aid off immediately but decided to take a subtle approach in stroking the wound until the truth surfaced. “What makes you happy?”

After casting his blue eyes onto the road and deciding that the end was indeed nearer than anticipated, the angel relaxed himself long enough to allow a pause between them. But the seconds turned into minutes and then the engine beneath where they were seated cooled down. Somewhere in one of the dilapidated houses, someone was blaring their television and although life seemed to be unfolding as per normal, theirs were anything but normal.

“Many things could suffice,” Castiel’s voice cracked under the weight of the truth, “having you back, for instance. Looking ahead to when we actually defeat Chuck because we _will_ defeat him and hopefully that’s sooner than later.”

“But…” Jack would always be persistent when he discovered he was equipped with the truth and couldn’t squeeze it out of someone else. “What’s the breaking point for you? What needs to happen before it shows up? The Empty, I mean.”

Castiel sighed again and this time, his shoulders slumped. “Jack, if I tell you what that is, will you promise to keep this between us? Will you promise that this will never come out?”

After he nodded though, Jack decided that there would come a point in time when he would have to reveal the secret. He could feel it inside his bones, inside his being that a phenomenal moment was coming but whether he would be involved in that, the certainty did not exist.

“It’s Dean, isn’t it?” he decided to leap ahead, because Castiel’s aura was electric and unsettled from fearing the truth and voicing all of it. “It’s always been him. I can tell that he means the world to you. But I wasn’t sure how much until I started thinking about why the Empty would want to take your happiness away and what that would mean. You’d be devastated without Dean. Just as he was devastated when you died, and it all makes sense now.” Sitting up a little straighter, Jack considered blue eyes that leaked tears. “Cas, are you in love with Dean?”

For a long time, the angel’s face softened until contorting from crying, and wringing his hands wouldn’t even diminish the burning deep down inside his chest. That part of him would suffer the most, although his heart was not supposed to beat and leap the way it did when he thought about how much love was generated for one human being.

“Yes,” Castiel croaked, then he bit his lips gingerly and inhaled deeply as the hammer fell over and over and wrecked his heart into pieces. “So _very_ much.”

Jack, of course, had only been privy to a sliver of what it could feel like to become attached to someone. He understood that love consisted of emotions which raged and could either soothe or destroy. He understood that destruction resulted from heartbreaks and anger and pain. But what he couldn’t understand was why the universe could become so cruel to try to shatter what he considered as the best love story he ever witnessed between two men he loved as his own parents.

“So, you can’t tell Dean how you feel? How fair is that? We have to stop this from happening,” Jack slid off the nose of the car and faced Castiel who could only provide lowered eyes. “Let me talk to Billie about it. She’ll know what to do. Or even better, I can talk to the Empty. We’re working together to defeat Chuck. So, there _has_ to be a reason why all of this is happening. Maybe—”

“Jack—” Castiel tried but could not muffle Jack’s ramblings.

“…the Empty knows the truth. It knows that you’re in love with Dean, but it just wants you to tell him how you feel. And it’s forcing you to do that because it knows you’ve been keeping this a secret for years, right? Cas, this is it. This makes no sense otherwise. You _have_ to tell him. It’s the only way you’ll know what happens next and even if the Empty does come for you, we’ll find a way to get you back. We always do. I’ll bring you back because I’ve done it before.”

In fact, when Castiel considered how powerful Jack was and the magnitude of his abilities, he began to honestly hope that if doom’s day presented itself, then he _could_ stand a chance of coming back. He could return like he always did but when he inwardly considered the fact that Dean may not even feel the same about him, may not be willing to reciprocate the immense love he felt, then Castiel decided that perhaps being taken by the Empty would be the best option to silence his aching heart forever.

If it was of import to relate the truth, then he would embrace his demise.

“In fact, I’ll go talk to the Empty right now—”

“Jack! No!” Castiel grabbed the younger man’s right arm and stared wide eyed at someone who would easily risk his life for him. “It is important that we think this through properly. You’re currently at a compromise with the Empty and if anything happens to screw up the arrangement you have in defeating Chuck then everything could go sideways.”

“Okay, fine,” Jack folded his arms and appeared like a petulant child. “I wouldn’t do it. But you have to tell Dean. You can’t keep that inside of you. I need you to be happy, Cas. You deserve that more than anyone I know.”

* * *

When Dean entered the War Room and highlighted Castiel standing there with a constipated look on his face, his footsteps faltered. Beer in hand and ready to knock it down in the hopes of catching a break between them trying to fight a war, he had hoped that nothing bad would arise for at least half an hour. Now with the daunting look on his best friend’s face, he was immediately convinced that something was amiss.

“What’s up, Cas?” moving to the table, he rested the bottle onto the surface and stared into blue eyes that softened from tears. “What the hell happened? Talk to me.”

After lingering a few inches away, Castiel slowly approached and braved their eyes to meet. This was really going to happen. It was like staring into the face of danger and knowing for certain that death would be minutes away, if not seconds. And inhaling deeply, he gathered up enough composure to at least introduce a few words.

“How are you, Dean?” but his voice cracked even more and because he was hanging on the verge of crying, ready to crumble fast and perhaps destroy himself in the process, Castiel stopped and waited.

Dean though, was far from buying in on the whole façade entailing diverting the conversation from what was supposed to be said between them. “Cas, you’re scaring me, man. I know something’s wrong with you. I’ve sensed it a long time now and if I’m being honest, I’m going to admit that whatever the hell is going on, it’s not good.”

“It’s not…” Castiel’s lowered eyes fell onto the space between them, perhaps two feet at least and enough to break his heart. “It’s…” he swallowed and inhaled deeply, “about when Jack was rescued from Heaven and he came back to us. There was something that happened to make _that_ happen and now because the end of the world is literally hanging over our heads, I feel that I owe you the truth in more ways than one.”

Dean frowned deeply and licked his lips. “Don’t tell me you made some damn deal to get him back, Cas. Don’t you dare tell me that. Right now, in case you haven’t noticed, I can’t lose the people that matter the most to me. You especially. This…” the younger man implored reason and his green eyes softened, “what’s happening around us; it’s going to be bad before it even gets better.”

“I _did_ make a deal,” Castiel professed in a soft voice that wasn’t his own because Dean was looking at him as if he could make the worst decision and still the younger man would sympathize. At that point, they were way past the anger and the pain and instead had settled into a comfortable bond that was fueled by trust and love.

“What’s the end game then?” Dean’s tone cracked as tears filled his eyes and somewhere deep down inside of his chest, he could feel a bitter warmth creeping up to the surface. “You couldn’t have just traded his life for yours because you’re still here. So, what’s the catch, Cas?”

“The Empty said that it will come for me when I’m finally happy.”

For a while, just a few seconds, the two of them gazed at each other as a certain amount of thoughts flowed between them. Memories, of course. Memories of special happy moments over the years, of when they were angered by each other and then built back the foundation of their bond through forgiveness and understanding. And now as the two of them looked at each other, _really looked_ into their history together, something rose to the surface.

At first, Castiel wasn’t aware of the storm brewing in Dean’s mind, because all he could focus on what his mistakes, his downfalls, his feelings and the destruction from being rejected. If he pushed a little deeper though, because he was certainly capable of doing such a thing, then he would have seen the fear inside of those green eyes and understood it to mean so much more. There was also anxiousness and nervousness and perhaps a generous amount of self-doubt.

“Then I’ll trade places with you—”

“Dean! Of course, not,” Castiel stared back in disbelief. “Don’t you dare say something like that.”

“Why, Cas?” the younger man’s voice had softened until he couldn’t even hear it above the beating of his heart. “You think I’ve ever liked myself enough to stick around after all of this is over? You think I’ve looked in the mirror recently and saw some good inside of me that would last for a couple more years? I’m far gone. There’s no happy ending for me. But you…” tears clouded Dean’s eyes, “man, you deserve this more than anything and if there’s a choice…”

“There is no choice to be made here!” Castiel cried hoarsely, his eyes spilling tears that stunned him from its abundance. “Dean, you are very much worthy and special and deserve a long life after we end this war and—”

“I can’t live without you, Cas,” the younger man interrupted and pleaded with a look that suggested that he had possibly revealed so much more than he bargained for. “You get cut out of this? And I’m left alone here to go on without you? I’m going to make myself a legend by ending the misery. Always said I’d go down swinging or die by my own hands, holding a damn gun—”

“You fought for this whole world, and you did all of that selflessly, without second thinking anything,” Castiel closed the distance between them as Dean stared back at him. “Don’t you think that in all fairness, you _should_ consider yourself a hero? There’s so much good inside of you, Dean.”

“Cas, don’t.”

“I have to. I have to tell you these things because it’s all I have left inside of me. There’s no one else that I’d rather believe in besides you.”

“What makes you happy?” Dean suddenly whispered, tasting his tears and feeling like he would die. His head grew dizzy and even though he thought the answer to the question was definite inside of his mind, that when all this was over and Castiel was left with a family, he’d be contented and move on, he wasn’t prepared for the rest. “What do you think needs to happen before it all ends for you?”

Castiel gazed into green eyes, glistening with tears and he started to cry again. This time though, he wasn’t sure that he would ever stop. “You,” he said simply, examining every single reaction on the younger man’s countenance and wondering if he would ever be understood in this lifetime.

“But I’m already here, Cas,” Dean was struggling to breathe, “I’m here with you all the time. So, why aren’t you happy already?”

“We’ve been best friends for what feels like forever for me, Dean,” Castiel said, drawing nearer, “through everything, we’ve had each other’s backs. We’ve fought wars together. We’ve walked away and came back. We’ve blamed each other for the wrongs and moved past those moments because of everything else that felt right. And here we are, here _I_ am actually, burdened by the biggest secret of all, that I’ve kept for so long inside of me and I can’t keep it anymore.”

When the younger man remained silent and began to cry softly, shaking with soft sobs, the world around them grew colder, so much colder. In fact, even as Dean drifted nearer and allowed an inch of space between them, he realized that there was no way that the truth could be less obvious. The effect they had on each other was definite; it was real. And from the moment Castiel reached for his face with trembling fingers, Dean braced himself for the impact.

But he could never anticipate what it would feel like. Not when Castiel’s caress felt like heaven, felt like something he spent years craving for. The void inside of his heart filled up with so much warmth and because he was suddenly aware of what that emptiness was lacking, he couldn’t deny it. Not when the two of them continued to cry and his tears were slowly brushed away and just when he thought that everything, all of it would be expelled in a hug, so much more happened.

At first, Castiel braved to eat up the inches by slipping his fingers through Dean’s soft hair and tugging his face nearer. He almost managed to press their lips together. Almost. Until Dean panicked and balling his fists into Castiel’s shirt, he kept him at bay.

“Don’t,” the younger man croaked, shaking his head frantically, “Cas, I know. But please don’t—"

“What do you know, Dean?”

“I know enough to know that you’re not alone, okay?” green eyes leaked with tears. “When I said that there’s something I needed to tell you in Purgatory, that was it. There’s so much more.”

“I love you,” the angel said softly, his voice reduced to bits and pieces as he cried, and when he finally said it, the circle around them deepened into a feeling that was blissful but electric. “Dean. I can’t go on without saying it and if this is—”

“Well done, Clarence—”

“Not so fast—”

Two entities at once appeared behind Dean, one of them immediately identifying as Billie as she blocked the Empty’s disguise in the form of Meg with her scythe. Two powerful beings, ready to rush up and fight if the need arose although their recent plans to work with each other was becoming more evident. They sized up each other until Dean’s sob became too audible to miss and after the two of them considered him briefly, something passed between Billie and the younger man.

“We had our own understanding,” Meg directed this at Castiel, who merely considered her with a look of utter sadness. “this has nothing to do with Death. Why don’t you go poof and leave us alone?”

“I can’t,” Billie was still staring at Dean, her expression revealing something secretive. “He knows what I’m talking about. Don’t you Dean?”

After turning around though and considering the woman who was armed and couldn’t appear dangerous to Dean more than what her intentions were in the moment, the hunter nodded. And when he did, Castiel considered him with abundant worry because he could not decipher what it was. No matter how hard he tried to read Dean’s mind, he could not penetrate the walls.

“What is she talking about?” he tried, his body growing colder by the second as the epitome of their demise resided in two entities, a stone’s throw away from them. “Dean?”

“The way his story ends,” Billie said forcefully, “a while ago, he and I had a talk where it was revealed to him what his ending would look like. Over and over again, despite the many changes that would have occurred, no matter what was factored in, the result was always the same. He always knew that he’d have to sacrifice himself to save you, Castiel. There would come a time like this one where he would stand with you and face me without cheating as he’s always done before. Your time has run out, Dean Winchester.”

“Wait a minute,” the Empty in the form of Meg’s eyes widened as if it was so certain now of being toyed with, “none of this is going the way it’s supposed to. Dean’s job isn’t done here. He needs to stick around to destroy Chuck with our help. So how will he do that if you reap him?”

“When your time is up, it’s up—”

“Bullshit,” the Empty fired back, “we had a deal. All of us had a deal and we’re supposed to stick to the plan in order to get rid of that stupid imposter who keeps on pretending that he’s God, when he isn’t!

Dean and Castiel turned to each other and even through their fear and conflicting emotions, they stared into each other’s eyes and tried to search for answers. Imposter? Surely something was awry but to this extent that Chuck would openly lie about being God?

“You! Me! Lucifer’s son, Amara, Michael. All of us are in this together,” the Empty continued in a rage that was extra sass because of Meg’s visage.

“Oh, and whatever you will achieve by consuming Castiel will make this even better for us? We need his help too,” Billie said as if the mere thought was ridiculous to entertain.

The Empty sighed and turned to consider the angel who was studying Dean’s face as if he was going to see him for the last time. It was tragic really, to witness such a thing. But it was necessary.

“Okay, fine,” the voice drawled in the form of Meg, “fine, I’ll let my secret out. The deal we made,” she gestured to Castiel who stared back in bewilderment, “wasn’t going to ever end with me actually _killing_ you. There’s no reason to kill you because Jack…is just going to keep bringing you back over and over and over again. And between me and you, I don’t want you where I am because you’re annoying and you always keep waking up. So all of this,” she swept her arms out wide enough to include Dean, “was me trying to push you to admit your feelings and for you to finally realize that you will have to make a choice.”

A choice?

Dean stared at the Empty then at Billie and a terrible migraine ravished his skull. He was entirely confused and standing at a place where there was no defined idea inside his mind of what the hell was happening.

“Our endgame here, is to defeat Chuck, place Jack on the throne, per say—”

“Also to lock the gates of Hell, return all angels to Heaven and restrict everyone’s intervention into affairs on earth,” Billie continued, “meaning that each realm will be given the power to do whatever is right like the old days and only if necessary, we will step in to make things right.”

“So, wait,” Dean was tired of remaining silent, because after being kept in the dark for so long, he became angered and frustrated. “Wait one damn minute. You trying to tell me that all of this…was planned out without any of us even knowing, whilst you two alongside Michael and Amara, keep trying to use us as pawns?”

“You’re doing what we want you to do. Knowing more complicates the order of things—”

“Are you even listening to yourself right now?” Dean fired back at Billie who dully considered him and rolled her eyes. “We’re not your goddamn pieces on a board that you can just move around! We mean something to someone—”

“Clarence, stop blushing,” the Empty was smiling at Castiel, “we all know he’s referring to you. Okay, you’ve learned enough about the plan. Both of you are important to the cause. But Castiel still needs to make a choice when this is over soon. He needs to decide whether he will return to Heaven completely or give in to becoming a human. So that he can stay with his precious human. It makes my knees jelly. But it also is tragic.”

“Screw both of you,” Dean wandered away from Castiel, wiped his face with his hand and remained with his back towards them. “That’s just… _not_ going to happen. You can’t make him choose between being who he’s always been or…”

“Whenever the time comes,” Castiel said softly, gazing at the younger man and completely oblivious to Billie or the Empty, “and if I have to make that decision, I’ll chose whichever one keeps me closer to Dean. If that means…” he stared into green eyes that widened when the two of them looked at each other, “…giving up my grace, all of it, I’ll do it just to be with you.”

“Cas!”

“Oh, shut up and take it,” the Empty said dramatically, “unless you want me to swallow him up for good and you’ll never get to see him again.”

“I am just fed up with the Winchesters messing with the order of things and getting away with it every single time,” Billie spoke out, holding her scythe nearer and scowling. “There will come a time, Dean, when I’ll come for you once and for all. When this war is over…maybe. Depends on how it goes but your story will never change. You’ll always meet your demise by sacrificing yourself for Castiel, whether it’s soon or fifty years down the line, it _will_ happen and when it does, I’ll be there to collect.”

“Kiss and makeup,” the Empty said smiling, swelling with pride as if things happened its way and Billie was the unfortunate one. “And don’t die during this war, Clarence. I don’t want to see you ever again.” And just like that, the room was spared one and after Billie realized that she was pressured to say something in return, she sighed.

“The plan is too great to be given to you, Dean. Had we divulged all of it, then you and your brother would find some way to screw it up along the way. Just as you always do.”

“So, there’s more then?” he asked her, feeling so soft and conflicted and wishing that there were no wars and he never was privy to how his life would end.

“Oh, there’s _so_ much more,” Billie said and finally smiled, but then she disappeared and along with her absence came the heavy weight of being in each other’s presence again. Alone.

Dean slowly turned to provide Castiel with his undivided attention and even though the two of them were severely hammered by the newest revelations, it was almost magnetic the way they drifted towards each other. At first, he wasn’t sure whether the angel would allow it, but Dean reached out and nervously entwined their fingers and as the tears came again, he smiled through it.

“So, we’re in this together, huh? You and me.”

Castiel’s chest trembled as he pulled the younger man closer and dared to rest their foreheads together. This time, Dean didn’t hesitate, nor did he push them apart. But he stayed. “I don’t want you to die because of me.”

“Not your decision to make. When the time comes, and let’s hope that it’s not soon, then we’ll handle it.”

“One hundred years instead of fifty?”

Dean chuckled through his tears and their lips brushed, and something inside of him trembled, awakening and sighing. “We got a war going on right now, Cas. And all I want to do is kiss you just so I can forget for a moment that it’s all happening.”

“Kiss me, then,” Castiel said in a soft voice that didn’t sound like his own. “I’ve waited for almost ten years to feel what that’s like so please add substance to my dreams.”

Mesmerized by the truth and the depth of those words, Dean captured the angel’s face between his palms and smiled. “Didn’t know you could dream. Thought that was a human thing alone.”

“That’s what love does to angels. It makes us become more human. Once we give in to emotions, we begin to change.”

“Then…” Dean pressed a soft kiss onto parted lips and literally felt Castiel tremble against him, then he drowned in those blue eyes that fluttered close, “let’s change this for good.” And he finally kissed him deep and slow and almost as if he was searching for home and discovered that it was always right there.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know your thoughts.
> 
> Other theories: I think Chuck IS NOT the real God and have thought this for a long time now. He has to be one of God's children; Amara and Chuck being light and dark that exists in balance. Before there was even a universe, there was a blank slate which God worked with to create all of this. Therefore, he needed to create two things: light and dark. 
> 
> My take on where he is? He's probably not even an entity that will show himself but merely a force that exists to keep things in balance. Chuck was feeding off of this energy to get what he wanted. And now when he's defeated, someone will have to step up and rule Heaven and that will be Jack.
> 
> I can go on and on but, we may never know what will happen so we can only speculate.


End file.
